Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?
In recent years, many destinations felt the pain of crises, natural disasters and global pandemic, but perhaps no other destination felt the gravity of multiple crises in succession like Sonoma County, CA. Since 2017, the destination faced natural and climate-induced disasters including devastating wildfires, damaging floods and dangerous droughts that threatened the foundation of the regional economy.
To drive immediate travel to the destination, Sonoma County Tourism (SCT) launched a digital campaign to awaken the spirit of travel and remind visitors of the laid-back, luxurious experiences the destination provides. While driving awareness, conversion and visitation were primary goals, the program needed to balance the critical issue of upholding resident trust while continuing to energize the local economy through promoting responsible tourism.
Based on insightful research, we learned that digital guides were among the top travel planning resources used by post-pandemic travelers. The team launched a seasonal inspiration guide and other tools to creatively engage targets cohesively through omnichannel storytelling featuring local luminaries and restorative experiences.
SCT used Google Analytics, keyword search volume data, social sentiment information, VISA/Arrivalist spend as well as conversion data to identify the following strategies:
- Inspiration Guide (IG): digital visitors guide
- Wedding eGuide: digital guide to assist couples and wedding planners
- Consumer Email Program: visitor-focused monthly/custom emails
- Visitors Map: local wineries and breweries map
- Website: website ads with partner listings
- Paid Partnerships/Amplification
- Digital Earned Media
With a digital focus that drove measurable results, SCT created a successful campaign that directly impacted the community and outperformed regional competitors.
Results: Which of your original goals did you achieve and how? How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign? Entrants should provide quantifiable results of their tactics or campaigns. (for example, click through rates or ad equivalency)
To effectively drive awareness, conversion and visitation, the SCT strategy needed to be built from an integrated core including paid, earned and owned media. Capturing attention would not suffice – the campaign needed to manage the recovery narrative and position Sonoma County as THE destination for the restorative, wellbeing experiences consumers were craving.
Executions showcased aspirational, first-person imagery within core pillars of food/wine, outdoors and wellbeing. Each image complied with safety recommendations—showcasing travelers enjoying the spacious outdoors, al fresco dining and solo wellness experiences. All included poetic language centering on how the featured activities make travelers feel. Each image concluded with the destination’s trademarked line, “Life Opens Up,” – now fully redefined.
Paid partnerships were established to reach audiences that longed for these types of experiences, and had the ability/confidence to do so immediately. Earned impressions were 561M+.
A full surround of campaign components was used to drive impact, and all digital partnerships performed above industry benchmarks (reports included).
According to a third-party ROI study conducted by Longwoods, the campaign generated 1.5M incremental trips ($203 spend per visitor) and $21 in taxes for every ad dollar spent.
Results included:
Inspiration Guide: digitally driven visitors guide with a seasonal strategy
o 1,988,928 pageviews
o 4:59 avg session duration
o 39.65 pages per session
Consumer Email: Monthly/custom emails
o 4.01% avg CTR
o 41% Open Rate
Visitors Map: Map featuring wineries and breweries
o 200,000 distributed
Web Partner Ads: Website ads and featured partner listings
o 19,600 clicks to partner sites
o 2,121,658 impressions
Overall Partner Referrals
o 800,509 referrals to partner sites
o 36% increase YoY
Paid Media Performance
o 46,281,186 impressions
o 1,940,346 video completions
o 138,128 clicks
o .30% CTR
Budget: Please include total budget vs. total actual cost. How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?
According to a third-party ROI study conducted by Longwoods, the campaign generated 1.5M incremental trips ($203 spend per visitor) and $21 in taxes for every ad dollar spent (see enclosed ROI study report).
This campaign produced incremental trips to Sonoma County that otherwise would not have materialized in the absence of advertising. The vast majority of incremental trips were taken by California residents.
Those incremental Sonoma County visitors spent $163.7M while in Sonoma County. When related to advertising costs of $.08M, this translates into a return on investment of $203 in visitor spending for each ad dollar spent.
Those incremental expenditures yielded the following in taxes:
- $16.6M in state and county taxes
- Return on investment of $21 in taxes for each ad dollar spent
Entry Title
"Life Opens Up" in Sonoma County
Division
Digital - Multimedia Multiple Channels